Follow Your Heart
by Ultrawoman
Summary: COMPLETED : Part 3! A different ending to one of my favourite movies, because Will deserves a better woman than Jocelyn...Please R&R.
1. Chapter 1

A/N : I love the film 'A Knights Tale' but, like a lot of people, I thought Will should have ended up with Kate instead of Jocelyn. Here is my verion of how I thought the last part of the movie should go. This first chapter starts when the officials find out that Will is a peasant and not a real knight. The whole story is written from Kate's POV and there will be three chapters in all. Hope you like this.

(Disclaimer : I do not own the movie A Knights Tale or any of its characters)

Chapter 1

Sometimes I think the fact that I was a blacksmith blinded everyone to the fact that I was female. Yes, it was wonderful to be accepted as one of their gang but that was all I was to them, one of the gang. It was simply annoying and frustrating that Roland and Watt and Geoff saw me that way, but it was severely painful that William couldn't see beyond my occupation. I loved him, from almost the first moment I saw him. He was tall and strong and handsome, but that was not what drew me in. There was an extra strength, within his eyes, that I knew came straight from his heart.

He was a knight if ever there was one, regardless of his lack of title and appropriate pieces of paper. In his heart I knew he was a knight as he was in my heart too. Now I had my chance to tell him.

"Would you have me run, Kate?"

He'd asked everyone else and now it had come to my turn to answer. His friends; Watt, Roland, Geoff, they had all told him to run, even Jocelyn the woman who was supposed to love him, they had all told him to run away like a coward. I couldn't give him the same answer, because I knew it would do no good. In his heart and soul, I knew he wanted to stay and fight, regardless of the advice he was given to the contrary.

"Will, I cannot tell you what to do, no-one can. If your heart tells you to run, then run, but if you truly want to stay that's what you must do"

When he looked at me then, it was like he was looking right into my soul. I think he was surprised that a girl like me could come up with something that wise and poetic. I was sure Geoff smiled, he would have been proud to have been the writer of such a line, but I knew this without looking at him. I never took my eyes off Will and I know he did not take his off me.

"I must follow my heart?" he asked me and I was incapable of speech whilst under his gaze. I nodded my head and he smiled.

"Then I shall fight" he said in a voice full of power, he started to stride forward, out towards the battle ground. Jocelyn put herself between him and the exit.

"If you love me you will run" she said, desperately.

"No" he replied, immediately, "I have proved my love to you so many times and in so many ways" he continued, his face close to hers, "and yet, I have seen no proof of the love you profess to feel for me" he stepped back from her, "I have lost for you and I have won for you" he said, strongly, "But I'll be damned if I'll run for you!" With that he stormed out of the tent and toward the battle ground. I stood for a second and watched as he walked away and Jocelyn's face collapsed into tears and she ran with Christiana behind her. I'm ashamed to say I was glad to see it. She never deserved William and her love for him was not true. Not like mine was. She had not proved her love, I had, even though it was not obvious. When Will needed me I was there, to help him, to look after him, to stand by him. I always supported him, I never doubted him and, although I knew he'd probably never realised it, I loved him.

We started to walk out to the battleground, me, Geoff, Watt and Roland, right behind the man we admired so much.

I think it seemed to them that whatever happened next was my fault. By not telling William to run they assumed I meant for him to fight, but I would not have cared either way, not really. I knew I was in love with William Thatcher whether he ran or fought, but I'll admit I admired him more for holding his ground.

As soon as he entered the battle ground he was dragged away by guards and we were all held back powerless to help him. I could have cried, easily, but I refused to be weak, when he needed my strength. As he glanced back at me, I was shocked to see him smile. I knew they could not take away his strength. The strength within his heart would remain no matter what happened to him, just as my love would remain. 

He was to be put in a cell over night and then sent to the stocks the following day. That night I cried, more than I had ever cried before. It was mostly my doing that my love was suffering, and yet I knew he would not blame me. I hid my tears from the men, refusing to look weak in front of them. They would not understand anyway. I prayed to God that night that William would be okay and that tomorrow, we would find a way to make things right. 

A/N : Please review and tell me what you think.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N : Thanx to Dryad Dray for the review on chapter 1. Here's the next part.

(Disclaimer : see chapter 1)

Chapter 2

The guards led Will up to the stocks and locked him in the wooden frame. We stood around him, me, Watt, Roland and Geoff, desperate to stop the crowds from punishing him, and no-one more desperate than me. The hoards of people continued to throw insults as well as stones and old vegetables, even when Roland threatened them with a lump of wood and I stood the other side of the plinth with my hammers in my hands.

Watt began to yell at the crowd, which did no good at all, and Geoff came to stand beside me.

"Can't you say something to make them stop?" I whispered to him, knowing him to be perfectly capable of controlling a crowd simply with words and no violence at all. He just smiled at my request.

"I am sure you could find better words than I ever could" he told me. I wasn't sure if he meant simply because I had spoken so strongly the day before or because he sensed there was more to what I felt for Will than simply friendship or sisterly affection. I glanced down at the stocks and I knew what I must do.

"You think you can make them quieten down for a minute" I asked Geoff and he smiled again.

"Anything for the lady" he said, jumping up onto the higher part of the plinth and shouting down at the crowd.

"Ladies and gentleman, a moment of your time. I request just a moment of your time to hear this lady speak" he gestured towards me and I felt ill, but I was quite determined to say what needed to be said.

The crowd began to quieten down and I lifted myself up where Geoff had stood. He stepped down and gave me a wink, and it was good to know I had at least one person on my side. I did not dare look at Will, I was too nervous already.

As the sound from the gathered people hushed down to a murmur, I began to speak with force.

"Ladies and gentleman, I know you are angry and I understand that you feel betrayed by this man, but he is not a criminal and he does not deserve your cruelty, instead he deserves your praise. This man is not a knight on paper but he is a knight in his heart. He is living proof that our class does not have to determine who and what we are. He is a good man, a loyal friend and a great knight, no matter who his relations are or what is heritage may or may not be. What he has done, he has not done solely for himself but for you, the people, the real people, to show you just what an ordinary man can achieve if only he tries and believes in himself. He has won tournaments, not for himself, but for you, not for the money, but for the honour of competing in such events. And so I ask you, please do not treat him this way, do not treat anyone this way. Learn from the example he has set you and become better people, because I know now that it is possible for everyone"

As I finished my speech, the crowd remained silent. I stepped down from the plinth and I heard one lone man start to applaud. I turned to see Prince Edward, still clapping as a servant removed a hood and cloak from his royal figure.

The Prince came towards me and smiled.

"That was a very impressive speech, dear lady" he told me before turning to Will who was still in the stocks.

"I believe we have met before" he said with a slight smile, "and I seem to remember you did me a great favour. I think now would be a good time to return that favour. You may not be a knight on paper but, as this lady says, you are a knight in your heart. I knew that the day we first met, but even if we had never met before, I can tell that your men love you, as I believe this young lady does, and that is enough to convince me that what I'm about to do is right"

I was somewhat surprised by the turn of events. The Prince ordered that the guards release William from the stocks and he staggered down towards us. Watt and Roland helped him down as Geoff and I looked on. He glanced at the Prince and then at me and I smiled. Just seeing him free of his torture was enough to lighten my heart, but the way he looked at me then, with such pride, thankfulness and affection, I felt quite faint.

"Will you take a kneel, William" the Prince asked, taking out his sword. Wills eyes were taken from me then but I didn't mind. He knelt before Prince Edward and I felt such warmth and pride as the sword landed on each of his shoulders and the words "I dub thee Sir William" were uttered by the son of the King.

Finally, he had his wish. Sir Ulrich von Lichtenstein may have been slain, but Sir William Thatcher's time was just beginning. I hoped, rather than believed, it might be the beginning of a new kind of relationship for Will and I, but I suspected that when Jocelyn heard about Will's knighthood, she would want him back and I had an even worse feeling that he would go back to her.

I suppose deep down I knew why all the men loved her so much. She was the ideal woman to them, with her perfect figure, her good looks, her riches and her refinements. I was just a blacksmith, just a friend, barely a woman to them.

I watched as Will shook the hand of the Prince and I sighed to myself. Apparently I was loud enough that Geoff had heard it.

"It'll happen Kate. Just give it time" he told me. I turned quickly, ready to deny everything, but I knew there was no point. It was about time I admitted to everyone, including myself, that I was completely, hopelessly, and eternally in love with Sir William Thatcher. All I had to do now, was tell the man himself.

A/N : Chapter 3 coming soon. In the meantime, please review.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N : Here's the final part of this story. This chapter covers the battle between William and Adhemar, and ends with Will and Kate being together, like they should be. (Thanx to Ditey and TrueFan for the reviews on chapter 2)

(Disclaimer : see chapter 1)

Chapter 3

William was, at last, back where he belonged, out on the battle ground and now under his own name, his own title. He must face Count Adhemar and it was a fight that would not be easy, not at all, but he had already won a greater battle. He had won the right to be who he truly deserved to be - Sir William Thatcher. He had also won my heart, though at that moment I thought he knew nothing of it. I saw him glance up into the stands and next to the Prince and his wife there was an empty space. Jocelyn was not there and I felt wretched just knowing that he cared, but I was wrong. I think he saw the disappointment on my face when I thought he still loved her.

"She's not here" he said to know one in particular, "and how I do not care"

I could hardly believe what I had heard, but I did not get a chance to query it. It was time for the William to fight, to fight Adhemar no less.

Watt handed the lance to our knight and we ran behind the horse as the flag went down. The crowd made an almighty noise as the two men rode toward each other. With a sickening crack of splintering wood on steel, Adhemar's lance broke against William's chest. The side of the crowd that loved the black knight cheered as we ran to the side of our leaders horse. The end of his rivals lance was stuck in his shoulder still and he commanded Roland to remove it. I felt his pain as the point was removed and was more shocked than perhaps I should have been to find that Adhemar had cheated.

Still there was a fight to be won and William was determined to be the one to do it. We prepared him for the second charge as best we could, and even when he said he was ready I knew the pain he must be suffering was of immense proportion. He would not give in, not Sir William, he would never forfeit.

We ran again as the horse charged for the second time and the crowd erupted for its second time. Halfway between his starting point and the centre of the ground where he would meet his enemy, the lance slipped from William's grasp. I almost couldn't watch as he took a second hit, but I was relieved to see that he did stay on his horse.

He started to ride back round with Roland, and Watt helping to lead the horse. It was then that Geoff noticed movement in the crowd. He pointed and yelled to William;

"She's here William, and so is your father"

I saw a light in his eyes as he looked up at them and I knew it didn't matter what I did or what I said or even what he said, his heart did indeed belong to Jocelyn.

"God bless my father" he sighed, "but I do not need _her_ here"

I wondered, could he possibly mean what he said. He turned his horse beside me and asked me to loosen his armour, for breathing was becoming difficult. As I moved to take the plate from his shoulder, his hand caught hold of mine.

"I do not need her here Kate, because I only wish to be the knight of one heart, and that is yours"

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding and smiled.

"You have my heart William" I told him, "You have always had my heart and my love"

"And it is all I need" he smiled despite the pain I knew he must still be feeling. I removed the rest of his armour and for a moment I was an amourer and not a woman anymore.

"You need more padding" I told him, but he shook his head.

"No leave it off, I cannot breathe with it on"

I looked upon him with desperate eyes. I needed him to live through this. If he won I would be the proudest woman alive, but I would rather have him lose and live than win and die.

"Kate, I promise, I will come back to you" he said sincerely before turning to Watt and demanding his lance. It was no good. As he tried to take it from his friend the weight was too much.

"Lash it to my arm" he told the man who simply shook his head as if he didn't understand.

"Watt, lash it to my arm" he repeated and this time his order was carried out. I feared it would be too late for the flag was about to drop, but as usual Geoff saved the day. He ran up onto the balcony and stood before the Prince to catch the crowds attention.

"Forgive me, ladies and gentlemen, but I missed my introduction..." he began and continued to make a speech as glorious as always. Half way through he beckoned to me and I shook my head. I could not face a crowd like that. William looked down from his horse as Watt completed his task of attaching the lance to his arm.

"Go on Kate, I want the world to know I have you on my side"

I smiled and ran toward the place where Geoff stood. He pulled me up onto the balcony and continued to shout to the crowd. 

"Ladies and gentlemen, with out further gilding the lily and without any more ado, I give you the son of your very own John Thatcher and the man who, thank the lord, has finally realised his love for this good woman..." he said, taking hold of my hand and raising it in the air, "...the one, the only..." he nodded to me and I knew what to say. Together we shouted, "Sir William Thatcher!"

As we leapt down from the balcony, the flag dropped and the horses began to gallop. I looked back once to see Jocelyn and her maid disappear into the crowd. My gaze switched back to my love as he rode with a fire in his eyes and victory on his mind.

"William!" he screamed as his lance made contact with Adhemar's body and sent him flying from his horse.

The cheers erupted from the crowd and no-one shouted as loud as me. As William dismounted from his horse, I was beyond joy to know that it was me he was running to. He scooped me up in his arms and I hugged him tightly.

"You won" I said, pointlessly, "I knew you would"

"You always believed in me" he said, puling away a little.

"And Jocelyn?" I had to ask. He only smiled.

"She has been weighed, she has been measured, and she has been found wanting" he grinned.

I laughed with joy, relief and sheer delight.

"I love you" he said and I revelled in the sound of those words.

"And I love you" I told him.

As we kissed, the sound of the crowd faded away and it was just us, me and William, standing there together. Us against the world, that was how it would always be. I knew, no matter what we came up against, we would be victorious, as love would always conquer all.

A/N : I hope anyone who read this story enjoyed it and please remember that all feedback is greatly appreciated.


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